(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Registration for the 2013 USA Boxing National Championships, April 1-6, in Spokane, Wash., is complete and 477 athletes have entered the United States’ premier Olympic-style boxing event. Five divisions of action will be contested at the 2013 USA Boxing National Championships with the elite men boasting the most competitors with 184 registered athletes. The 10 winners in the men’s elite division will advance to the 2013 AIBA Men’s World Championships.

The future stars of the sport will be on display in Spokane as well with 140 youth boxers slated to take the ring in the debut of the division at the USA Boxing National Championships. With the elite men competing without headgear following the recent AIBA rule change, the senior men’s division has been added to the tournament docket for those choosing to box without headgear, and 92 senior men’s competitors registered for the event.

Spokane and the Northern Quest Resort & Casino are a familiar locale for USA Boxing’s elite women and over 60 female boxers are registered to box in the USA Boxing National Championships. With all three returning Olympians competing in the event, the 2013 edition will be the first-ever to feature Olympic medalists. Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) and Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) will both return to the start of their Olympic journey in Spokane.

The athletes will begin arriving in Spokane on Saturday with the general weigh-in taking place at 4 p.m. on Sunday at Northern Quest Resort & Casino. The general weigh-in is being instituted for the first time to mirror the protocol for major international events including the Olympic Games. All of the tournament participants will be required to make their designated weight before being entered into the tournament draw, which will take place on Sunday evening in all five divisions.

USA Boxing National Championships preliminary round action will kick off of Monday at the HUB Sports with sessions at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Preliminary competition will continue through Wednesday at the HUB with two sessions daily. The final schedule for each division will be determined following the event draw but semifinal bouts will take place Thursday and Friday. Tournament competition will move to Northern Quest Resort & Casino for the last two days of boxing action on Friday and Saturday with two session taking place on both days.

Tickets for the event start at only $5 and are currently on sale for all of the tournament sessions via the Northern Quest box office and at www.northernquest.com. USA Boxing will be livestreaming the 2013 USA Boxing National Championships and the full event can be purchased for $19.95 through March 31. Once tournament action begins on April 1, the livestream will be available for $29.95 and single days may be purchased for $9.95. To purchase the tournament livestream, go to http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Boxing/Watch-Live.aspx.